The refusal to release the Pezzullo investigation report highlights a culture of secrecy across the public service and government.<\/p>\n
For those who do not know or who have forgotten, Mike Pezzullo was an officer of the Department of Defence who in 2017 ascended to be the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs.<\/p>\n
Some think Pezzullo may have been influential in the establishment of the Home Affairs portfolio. If so, that\u2019s not exactly a feather in his cap as the structure of the organisation is irrational and so it has been a source of constant failure and political embarrassment.<\/p>\n
Pezzullo\u2019s rule in Home Affairs ended on 27 November 2023 after masses of communications he\u2019d had with Scott Briggs (described as a Liberal Party \u201cpower broker\u201d of all things) were leaked to the media. These communications were so remarkably indiscreet and inappropriate, that Lynelle Briggs, a former Public Service Commissioner, was engaged to investigate. As a consequence of her report, Pezzullo was dismissed for 14 disciplinary offences. Now just about all traces of him have been expunged from the Home Affairs website including his many speeches and orations most of which were famous for their pretension and hilarity. It\u2019s a shame.<\/p>\n
In the post Home Affairs phase of his career, Pezzullo has become a pundit with the Murdoch press recently writing that a \u201ckey question\u201d for the Bell Royal Commission on the Bondi atrocities should be whether the temporary removal of ASIO from the Home Affairs portfolio after the 2022 federal election might be relevant. Well, by all means ask that question but the fact that ASIO took the alleged Bondi gunmen off its watch list in 2019 when it was a part of Home Affairs then headed by Pezzullo might be more pertinent.<\/p>\n
Moreover well before the Bondi shootings ASIO had been placed back within the Home Affairs portfolio. That also should be a very pertinent consideration for the Royal Commission.<\/p>\n
But to return to Pezzullo\u2019s dismissal on 27 November 2023.<\/p>\n
On that day the Public Service Commission (PSC) issued a media statement on Ms Briggs\u2019s conclusions on what it called \u201cfive overarching allegations\u201d against Pezzullo which it summarised in announcing its coup de grace. The statement ended by saying that \u201cNo further information regarding the contents of the inquiry will be provided\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Commission subsequently refused a Freedom of Information Act request for Briggs\u2019s report or a redacted version of its executive summary because it claimed, among other things, that:<\/p>\n
such a disclosure \u201ccould reasonably be expected to prejudice the conduct of future investigations\u201d; and
\nan \u201cedited version would leave only a skeleton of the document that conveys little of its substance\u201d and that it would \u201cnot be reasonably practicable to prepare an edited version.\u201d<\/p>\n
That decision was appealed to the Information Commissioner who said that any decision about the release of the Briggs report should be done by the then Administrative Appeals Tribunal.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s the line now being taken by in the Administrative Review Tribunal by the \u201cTransparency Warrior\u201d, Rex Patrick, a former submariner and South Australian Senator. In the course of those proceedings Patrick has succeeded in having much of Briggs\u2019s report on Pezzullo released. In <\/p>\n